Chương 96: Red Soul

"M-Madara? How is this possible?" Ōnoki's voice was barely a whisper, choked by fear and disbelief.

He nearly collapsed to the ground, his eyes fixed on the colossus rising before him. In his long life, he had only witnessed a Susanoo once, and it belonged to Madara Uchiha.

That encounter had become the psychological shadow that haunted him, a memory that tormented him in his darkest nightmares.

The hatred he felt towards Madara was intense, but the fear he inspired was even greater.

Chen had perfectly recreated that terror. When Madara had summoned his Susanoo, he had humiliated Ōnoki and his master, leaving an indelible mark on the young shinobi's heart.

Now, faced with this full-bodied Susanoo, Ōnoki struggled to stay on his feet, his legs shaking uncontrollably.

"Are you trembling?" Chen's voice, cold and mocking, sounded. "You don't even dare to fight. What right do you have to call yourself Tsuchikage?"

These words ignited a spark of pride in Ōnoki. With effort, he gritted his teeth and stood up, facing Chen's gaze.

"It's true, I'm afraid," he admitted. "But for the sake of Iwagakure, I won't fear anyone." His face hardened, overcoming the terror that threatened to paralyze him.

"And there's only one Madara Uchiha. You're not him."

Chen smiled with amusement. "You're right, I'm not Madara Uchiha. Your will is admirable. I hope your strength is up to your determination."

Drawing the Red Soul sword, a gift from Tsunade, Chen pointed it directly at Ōnoki. The blade, of an intense pulsating red, shone brightly.

"Are you ready? I'm going to swing the sword."

The simple movement of the sword generated a devastating wind pressure, wreaking havoc on the battlefield. Suddenly, Red Soul was enveloped in a crimson thunder, illuminating the entire area with its electric glow.

When he received Red Soul, he felt an immediate resonance with his eyes, specifically with his Susanoo. After careful exploration, he discovered that Red Soul was destined to be the weapon of his Susanoo, elevating it to the rank of the most powerful armed Susanoo.

The thunder power of Red Soul complemented perfectly with the abilities of the Thunder Fruit.

Fwoosh!

The giant red sword of the Susanoo cut through the air, generating hurricane-force winds.

Ōnoki's pupils contracted suddenly, and an involuntary tremor ran through his legs. However, at that critical moment, the teachings of the First Tsuchikage about the will of stone resonated in his mind, restoring firmness to his heart.

"Tsuchikage-sama!" Kitsuchi's voice cut through his thoughts.

"We're here to help you!" A group of Iwagakure ninjas was approaching at full speed.

"RETREAT!" Ōnoki's order was like a whiplash.

"...What...?" The confusion was palpable in Kitsuchi's voice.

"If you still recognize me as your Kage, RETREAT NOW!" Ōnoki roared. He knew that in front of this destruction machine that was the Susanoo, numbers meant nothing.

More people would only mean more unnecessary deaths.

Chen observed the scene with surprise and respect. "Unexpectedly, you still have the fiber of a true Kage," he commented with genuine admiration.

"Dust Style: Detachment of the Primitive World: Pillar!"

Bzzzzt!

An object shaped like a drill, much larger than his previous technique, began to form in Ōnoki's hands. The effort was visible on his face, and his breathing became heavy and labored.

Quickly assessing the situation, Chen decided not to directly confront this technique. Using the Susanoo to block it could result in its destruction, which would be a humiliation he wasn't willing to endure.

Vwoosh!

The moment Ōnoki launched the pillar of light, the Susanoo deployed its majestic wings and quickly rose into the sky, narrowly avoiding the devastating dust jutsu.

Bzzzzt!

Despite the rapid evasion, the Susanoo's legs couldn't completely escape, partially disintegrating before the power of the Kekkei Tōta.

Initially confident in his ability to completely avoid the attack, Chen was forced to reevaluate the speed and range of Ōnoki's jutsu. However, thanks to his vast Chakra, the lost parts of the Susanoo regenerated almost instantly with a blue glow.

Whoosh!

The Kekkei Tōta continued its destructive path, disintegrating everything in its wake. Chen couldn't help but feel a mixture of amazement and respect for the power of the dust element.

"Truly formidable," he muttered to himself, recognizing that few Hokage could have penetrated the Susanoo's defense in this way.

Panting heavily, Ōnoki watched in desperation as the Susanoo floated in the sky.

Despite having used all his skills, his opponent seemed unperturbed. The feeling of powerlessness in the face of such power began to settle in his mind.

Perceiving Ōnoki's desperation, he spoke in a voice that resonated across the field: "It's not my intention to intimidate you, but I must warn you. I'm going to try something, and if you can't stop it, the responsibility will fall on you. If you're looking for someone to blame, blame yourself for your weakness."

Turning to the Konoha forces, he shouted: "Konoha ninjas, retreat immediately! If you die, it won't be my fault."

"Thunder Blade!"

With these words, he wielded Red Soul. The giant sword was enveloped in a mantle of crackling lightning.

Before the blade descended, the sky lit up with a blinding glow, and deafening thunder shook the earth.

Panic seized the ninjas on the ground. Screams of terror filled the air as they fled desperately, cursing their parents for not giving them faster legs.

The Third Kazekage, trying to maintain order, shouted: "Don't retreat! Block the attack! Use defensive ninjutsu!" As he spoke, he manipulated his iron sand to create a protective barrier.

Hanzō joined in: "Don't retreat! Those who can't escape or don't want to die, use defensive ninjutsu!"

Both understood that the only hope of surviving an attack of such magnitude was to face it directly.

Hiruzen, knowing the devastating power of the Susanoo, ordered: "Konoha ninjas, retreat immediately!"

He had seen how a single Susanoo sword could split mountains and subdue even the powerful Kyūbi.

Amidst the chaos, Kitsuchi ran towards Ōnoki, who could barely stand due to chakra exhaustion.

"Tsuchikage-sama, are you alright? Come with us quickly!"

But stubborn as always, Ōnoki protested: "I'm not leaving. If I flee, wouldn't it mean I fear that boy?"

"Father, this is no time to be obstinate!" Kitsuchi pleaded.

"Please, we must go. You are the pillar of our village, we can't lose you!" Without waiting for a response, Kitsuchi hoisted Ōnoki onto his back and began to run.

Time was running out.

Chen's sword was about to fall, and there was no more time for words.

Boom!

The impact was apocalyptic.

A deafening roar shook the sky and earth. Clouds of smoke and dust rose, obscuring vision.

Lightning illuminated the chaos, and the earth trembled incessantly, as if the world itself was coming to an end.

When the dust finally settled, the devastation was revealed.

Thousands of bodies lay lifeless, victims of Chen's power. Many more were injured, and practically all who remained standing were disoriented and terrified.

The mark of the attack was a scar on the earth: a crack that extended for kilometers, reaching a depth of hundreds of meters.

It was as if a divine hand had torn the ground, creating a great canyon.

A silence fell over the field. Friends and enemies alike were struck dumb by the demonstration of power.

Fear and awe were reflected on every face, as they all contemplated the Susanoo, now the personification of destruction.

"How is this possible?! Susanoo?! In the hands of someone who isn't an Uchiha?" He shook his head, as if trying to clear an illusion.

"Could it be the Hyuga clan...? No, it can't be. What the hell is going on here?" Jiraiya, with eyes wide open and jaw dropped, couldn't contain his amazement.

Beside him, Orochimaru observed the scene with fascination. His eyes shone with a mixture of admiration and barely contained greed: "Ah, what magnificent strength. Truly, it's the power of a god among mortals." He let out a soft, almost reverent laugh.

"Although it's not the first time I've seen it, it's still... overwhelming."

The greed in his gaze was evident. Chen's Susanoo represented for him the pinnacle of power, an object of desire that consumed his thoughts.

Hiruzen, for his part, maintained a somber expression.

His eyes were now cold as he observed Chen. Although the young man was technically a member of Konoha, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern and, yes, jealousy.

'Such uncontrolled power...', he thought gravely. 'It's a threat, even if it's on our side. Perhaps especially because it's on our side.'

Weakness was an unforgivable sin in the shinobi world, but excessive power could be equally dangerous.

The stronger Chen showed himself to be, the more uneasy Hiruzen felt.

The reaction of those present to Chen's demonstration of strength was a study of human nature in its rawest form.

________

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